Gytha Lodge:  She lies in Wait

9780241362976, hardback & 9781405938488 B format, available, Penguin Random House UK,

 

“She lies in Wait” is a well- crafted dark psychological thriller centered on a group of six teenagers and later adults, set in two time zones, 1983 and the present,  with alternating chapters, another  one of my summer reads.

Aurora Jackson, the youngest of the group, vanishes without a trace when the group of friends is out on a camping weekend experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sex in 1983. When they all wake up the next morning, Aurora’s sleeping bag is empty and she is gone. A then rookie DJ Sheen takes part in an extensive search for Aurora who remains lost. Despite some suspicious evidence pointing towards two of the male teenagers, there is never enough to nail them down and the body is never found. 30 years later the body is finally discovered, hidden in a hollow close to the river with a stash of drugs. DJ Sheens reopens the cold case and what follows are fascinating interview dynamics between the DJ and the group of friends who all claim to be innocent but who obviously have a lot to hide particularly since some of them have become wealthy and well known in their community. And one of them is obviously guilty.

The novel takes many twists and turns, you keep on guessing as if you were the detective in the case and the ending is very realistic. My only criticism is that it took too long for my taste, 400 pages could have been edited down somewhat. But that is probably the publishing professional in me speaking….

A captivating holiday read or for a rainy weekend.